Extra defence spending is being lost on MoD's overdraft, warns former RAF chief

"The former head of the RAF has warned that increased defence spending in the UK is being eaten up by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)'s overdraft with the UK's military footprint shrinking at a critical moment. The intervention by retired Air Marshall Edward Stringer comes just days after Sir Keir Starmer committed sending UK troops to Ukraine as part of the coalition of the willing to protect any peace agreement from Russian aggression."

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"Retired Air Marshall Edward Stringer (Cpl Nicholas Egan RAF/UK MOD Crown copyright 2021) In his report for Policy Exchange Air Marshall Stringer warned that the UK gets much less bang for its buck than its competitors so despite headline budget increases to 3 per cent of GDP with an aim of 3.5 per cent, the front line continues to shrink."

Defence spending increases in the UK are being consumed by the Ministry of Defence's overdraft, reducing the country's military footprint at a critical moment. Retired Air Marshall Edward Stringer warns that despite headline budget rises to 3 per cent of GDP with an aim of 3.5 per cent, the frontline continues to shrink because the UK gets less value for money than competitors. Recent commitments to Ukraine and other overseas obligations are not matched by available resources and manpower in the armed forces. Capability shortfalls are evident across systems and equipment, including severely reduced artillery and frontline assets.

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